It’s hard to even remember The Daily Show with Craig Kilborn. What eventually became a comedy institution began life as, essentially, a thirty-minute SNL Weekend Update. It wasn’t as terrible as many people sometimes remember it being, but it was completely unremarkable. But when Jon Stewart took over the show, he single-handedly changed course. In addition to being funny, The Daily Show had the opportunity to be sharply satirical, not only in regard to news and politics, but also the very institutions that create sensationalized stories rather than inform the public. It is impossible to overstate Stewart’s importance to The Daily Show’s success
This obviously gives us reason to worry about The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Without the brainchild at the forefront of the show, how could it be successful? But the truth is, in television, successful shows tend to run on momentum as much as they do creative impetus. Again, Jon Stewart’s influence over The Daily Show was immense, but his contribution was more like building an engine than a single work of art. Behind the scenes, there are scores of writers, producers, and technicians who know Jon Stewart’s vision of The Daily Show inside and out. Stewart was the engineer, but they make up the actual engine.
Even without the engineer onboard, if the first episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is any indication, that engine is chugging right along. The writing is just as witty as under Stewart, and the actual joke construction feels very similar to what we’re used to. Noah himself also seems extremely game and surprisingly comfortable in the host’s chair. It’s apparent that the writers are still writing material for Jon Stewart’s delivery and mannerisms, but Noah is seamlessly handling the same type of material. It’s almost surreal seeing somebody who looks and sounds so different so quickly acclimating to the show.
This familiarity and comfort is probably intentional, and a smart way to go for a first episode. If there’s a message that the writers seem to want to get across, it’s that The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is still the same show people have enjoyed for the last sixteen years. They hang a lantern on the fact that there is a different person in the seat, but the first episode still feels like comfort food, a welcome return to a successful formula. We may no longer have Jon Stewart delivering the news every night, and Trevor Noah could very well evolve the show into something more suited to his background over time. But for now, we can rest assured that the engine is still running just fine.
